Small businesses across America celebrated Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26 during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. Initiated by American Express and in its second year, Small Business Saturday was a day dedicated to supporting small businesses. The goal of the day was for millions of people to “shop small” at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy.
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| WHAT A PHILOSOPHY—Kimberly Thomas of Whatever the Challenge…Don’t Quit displays her trademark design which inspires and encourages her customers. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels)
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Excited about the concept, businesses across the region participated in the day viewing it as a part of the kickoff for their holiday season. “This was a way for us to be creative, to introduce our business to new customers and to say thank you to our loyal patrons all at once,” said Nate Mitchell of 720 Music, Clothing and Café in Lawrenceville.
Other businesses partaking in the day were Whatever the Challenge…Don’t Quit Clothing Store in North Versailles, The Ultimate Beauty Spa in Squirrel Hill, Jamil’s Global Village in East Liberty and The Ujamaa Collective in the Hill District.
Soon to celebrate their first year anniversary, 720 Music Clothing and Café took full advantage of Small Business Saturday by offering sale items throughout the shop, café specials, free gift wrapping and hourly live performances by the Soulhop musical group SolSis. Owned by Mitchell, James Scoglietti, Andrew Burger, Paul Dang and Jovon Higgins Mitchell, the partners offered the $25 American Express statement credit with registration of the Amex Card and a $25 or more purchase at 720. Located at 4405 Butler Street, the business offers what they classify as the area’s newest urban lifestyles experience. What Mitchell calls a healthy marriage of music, clothing and coffee.
“This is a time for businesses like us to shine,” pointed out Kimberly Thomas of Whatever the Challenge…Don’t Quit. Offering a buy one get one half off sale, she pointed out that her clothing and trademarked design speaks to people of all ages. Located at 355 Lincoln Highway in the Great Valley Shopping Center, she also offers embroidered and silk screened clothing items.
As the newest of all the above mentioned businesses, Thomas, operating since August said she was happy to participate in such a promotion. “It was a great learning experience and a test for small retail businesses like mine,” she said.
As always, Leslie Askerneese, owner of the Ultimate Beauty Spa at 2015 Murray Ave., offered her clients a home away from home experience. “We are striving to make this holiday season as stress less as possible by creating the ultimate escape through providing a variety of spa packages,” she pointed out. Throughout the season she said she will continue to offer her monthly Friday events: Sista Gal Friday, Relax your Vive Friday and Self-Empowerment Fridays. Recent additions to her facility include the selling of retail products, a juice bar offering all natural fruity mocktails, juice and vegetable drinks and an infrared sauna that detoxes the body and loosens the muscles.
For more than 17 years Jamil’s Global Village has supplied their customers with African art, books, clothing jewelry, and items from all over the world. Appreciating the efforts of Small Business Saturday to encourage customers to focus on businesses like hers, Baiyinah Brookins, the daughter of Jamil, the original owner, said such programs serve a great purpose. “Days like this remind people of the importance of small businesses. We are a family business that has survived the redevelopment of the area,” she said. Jamil’s is located at 6024 Penn Ave.
Together the women of the Ujamaa Collective shared their talents and expertise through their handmade wares, foods and goods. Demonstrating the true meaning of Small Business Saturday regularly, the women provide a venue that taps into the desire among shoppers and merchants to emphasize local shopping. The Ujamaa concept is based on African principals and heritage. Located at 1901 Centre Ave., the Hill District was picked because of the community’s historical legacy of entrepreneurship and successful business ownership by African-Americans. The Ujamaa Collective is a non-profit organization of women of African descent who are entrepreneurs, artisans, artists and individuals committed to serving their community through leadership.
Brookins, representing the oldest of the reported establishments said small businesses are the life blood of the community. “People have to pledge to shop small and look at it as a movement. We are already looking forward to next year’s Small Business Saturday event,” she said.
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